THE EMPEROR NERO AND THE FIRST GREAT PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS Print Sermon These sermon manuscripts and videos now go out to about 116,000 computers in over 215 countries every month at . Hundreds of others watch the videos on YouTube, but they soon leave YouTube and come to our website, because each sermon directs them away from YouTube to our website. YouTube feeds people to our website. The sermon manuscripts are given in 34 languages to thousands of people each and every month. The sermon manuscripts are not copyrighted, so preachers can use them without our permission. Please click here to learn how you can make a monthly donation to help us in this great work of spreading the Gospel to the whole world, including the Muslim and Hindu nations . Whenever you write to Dr. Hymers always tell him what country you live in, or he cannot answer you. Dr. Hymers’ e-mail is rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net . THE EMPEROR NERO AND THE FIRST GREAT PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr.

A sermon preached on Lord�s Day Evening, April 22, 2007 at the Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles �Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life� (Revelation 2:10). Augustus Caesar was the emperor of Rome from 27 B.C. until 14 A.D. He ordered the census that involved Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1). He was followed by Tiberius Caesar, who reigned from A.D. 14 to 37. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead during his reign (Luke 23:2). Some Christians were killed by the Romans during the reigns of the emperors Caligula (37-41 A.D.) and Claudius (41-54 A.D.). But most of the persecution Christians experienced during that early period came from the non-Messianic Jews, which is described in the Book of Acts. Early in his reign the Emperor Claudius had been favorable to the Jews and their religion. But he later outlawed their attendance at synagogues and, finally, expelled them from Rome.

Claudius is mentioned by name twice in the Book of Acts. Please turn to Acts 11:28. �And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth [famine] throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar� (Acts 11:28). In his Antiquities of the Jews, the historian Josephus spoke of this famine, which occurred under the reign of Claudius. Claudius is mentioned a second time in Acts 18:2. Please read Acts 18:1-2. �After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them� (Acts 18:1-2). Priscilla and Aquila were Jews who had come to Corinth from Rome when Claudius expelled the Jews during the ninth year of his reign.

Suetonius gave the cause of their expulsion, �As the Jews were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus, he (Claudius) banished them from Rome.� Most scholars believe that Suetonius, writing seventy years after the event, mistook Chrestus for Christ, not realizing that the dispute in the Jewish community at Rome was between those who believed Christ to be the Messiah and those who rejected His Messiahship. Since Priscilla and Aquila were not classed as Paul�s converts to Christianity, it is believed that they had become Jewish converts to Christianity at Rome, before they met Paul. In Romans 16:3-4, Paul said that they had risked their lives for him. Paul considered them loyal friends and assistants. They attended the local synagogue with Paul, where they spoke to both Jews and Gentiles about Christ. It was during the reign of Claudius that the Apostle Paul made his three missionary journeys, throughout much of the Roman Empire. Nero became the fifth Roman Emperor in A.D. 54. He ruled fourteen years, until A.D. 68.

Nero began his reign with the promise that he would return to the policies of Augustus (31 B.C. � A.D. 14). He did so for several years under the guidance of two of his advisors, Burrus and Seneca. During this time he extended the borders of the Roman Empire and incorporated some of the good qualities of Greek culture. When the Apostle Paul was arrested in Jerusalem in A.D. 60 for preaching the Gospel, he appealed his case to Nero. Please turn in the Bible to Acts 25:10-12. �Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go� (Acts 25:10-12). The Caesar mentioned here was Nero.

As a Roman citizen Paul expected fair treatment from the Emperor. This was in A.D. 60. Paul was sent to Rome, where he was kept under arrest, awaiting trial. But a few years later, in A.D. 64, Rome was set on fire. Nero was blamed for starting the fire, which lasted for nine days. But Nero diverted the anger of the people against him by accusing the Christians of setting the city aflame. As a result, the pagan citizens of Rome hunted out the Christians and killed great numbers of them in a terrible persecution that lasted four years, for the rest of Nero�s reign. Many Christians, including Peter and Paul, lost their lives during this, the first general persecution of Christianity. Nero used all kinds of punishments against the Christians. He had some sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and then turned savage dogs loose on them until they were chewed to pieces. Other Christians were dressed in shirts dipped in wax, tied to poles, and set on fire in Nero�s garden. Many were shot with arrows, and many others were thrown into the arena, where they were killed by savage lions and other wild beasts.

The secular historian, Tacitus, wrote that the city of Rome was destroyed by fire, and rumors were widely circulated that Nero himself had caused the fire. Tacitus said, To stifle the report, Nero provided others to bear the accusation, in the shape of people who were commonly called �Christians,� in detestation of their abominable character. These [Nero] visited with every refinement of punishment. First they were arrested who confessed [that they were Christians], and then, on receiving information, an immense number were convicted, not so much on the charge of arson but on the charge of ill-will toward mankind in general. Their deaths were turned into a form of amusement. They were wrapped in the skins of wild beasts to be torn to pieces by dogs, or were fastened to crosses to be set on fire, and, when the daylight came to an end, were burned for an illumination at night. Nero threw open his own gardens for the spectacle, and made it the occasion of a circus exhibition�Sympathy was eventually felt for the sufferers�people felt that they were being destroyed not for the benefit of the public but to serve the cruel purpose of one man � Nero (Tacitus, Annals, xv. 44).

Among those who died during Nero�s persecution were several people named in the New Testament, including Erastus, the chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian; Trophimus, an Ephesian; Barsabas; and Ananias of Damascus. In the last year of Nero�s reign, Peter was crucified with his head downward, because he said he was unworthy to die the same way Christ did. Also in that year the Apostle Paul was beheaded at Rome. Dionysius wrote that both Peter and Paul �suffered martyrdom at the same time.� It is possible that Paul was kept in prison due to his association with the Christians during the burning of Rome. He spent time in Rome�s Mamertine prison before he wrote Second Timothy. The Mamertine prison still exists, just as it was when Paul was chained in it. My wife and I have been in that dungeon on two occasions. It was now illegal to be a Christian, since the �new religion� was no longer protected by Roman law as part of Judaism. Paul had two hearings before Nero. At the first hearing, he was �delivered out of the mouth of the lion� (II Timothy 4:17).

Nothing is known of the second hearing. Nero died in A.D. 68, so Paul was beheaded before that date. As a Roman citizen, it seems that he was spared from the excessive torture endured by his fellow martyrs. Tradition tells us that Paul was decapitated with a sword by an imperial Roman executioner just outside of Rome, and buried nearby. This fulfilled his desire �to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better� (Philippians 1:23). The cruelty and injustice of Nero eventually caused the indignation of pagans such as Tacitus. Many people became Christians because they saw how patiently these martyrs behaved when they were tortured for Christ. Rather than destroying Christianity, this persecution strengthened it. Tertullian said later that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christianity. The word �martyr� originally meant simply �witness,� but as these early witnesses for Christ sealed their testimony with their own blood, the first meaning merged into the second � dying for Christ. It is a serious thing, even today, to become a Christian. But it is well worth it. Christ died in your place, to pay for your sin.

He rose from the dead to give you life. When you come to Christ by faith, His Blood cleanses you from all sin and you receive eternal life in Him. Let us stand and sing hymn number eight on our song sheet. This hymn does not necessarily refer to our earthly fathers. It is a reference to our fathers in the faith, like the Apostle Paul, and the thousands who died with him in the first great persecution under the Emperor Nero. Sing it with feeling! Faith of our fathers! living still In spite of dungeon, fire and sword: O how our hearts beat high with joy When e�er they hear that glorious Word! Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death! (�Faith of Our Fathers� by Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863). (END OF SERMON) You can read Dr. Hymers' sermons each week on the Internet at . Click on "Sermon Manuscripts." Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan: Revelation 2:8-11. Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr.

Benjamin Kincaid Griffith: �Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken� (by Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847). Our Patron Saint - Saint Peter the Apostle Saint Peter the Apostle Our Patron Saint Home > About > Our Patron Saint Saint Peter the Apostle is the patron saint of our parish. Also known as Simon Peter or Cephas, the first pope, Prince of the Apostles, and founder, with St. Paul, of the see of Rome. The First Disciple Peter was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias. He was called Simon before meeting Jesus. He worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrew. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, and Jesus called Peter to become a disciple. Jesus gave Simon a new name, Cephas, or “the rock”. After becoming a disciple, Peter acknowledged Jesus as “… the Messiah, the son of the living God”.

Jesus responded to Peter, “… you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church…” Jesus also told Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The First of the Apostles Peter was recorded more than any other disciple in the New Testament. Peter was at Jesus’s sides at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter played a major role in the Passion of Jesus. He helped organize the Last Supper. When Jesus was arrested, Peter cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus. Just as Jesus had predicted at the Last Supper, Peter denied Christ three times. After the Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the other disciple. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, at Tiberias. Jesus gave to Peter the famous command to lead the new Church, “Feed my lambs…. Tend my sheep…. Feed my sheep”.

The Head of the Apostles As made evident in the Acts of the Apostles, immediately after the Ascension, Peter served as the head of the Apostles. He appointed the replacement of Judas Iscariot. He spoke first to the crowds that assembled during the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He was the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the Lord. Peter was nicknamed the “Apostle to the Jews”, and he was instrumental in delivering the Gospel to the Gentiles. At the Council of Jerusalem, he pledged support to preaching to the Gentiles; thus permitted the new Church to become universal. He was imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, he was aided by an angel to escape. Peter continued his apostolate in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, and Rome. Martyr Peter was martyred in Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero, around 64 AD. According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside doen on the Vatican Hill because he claimed he was not worthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. He was buried on Vatican Hill. Excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica have unearthed his probable tomb. St.

Peter’s relics are enshrined under the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. The First Pope Peter is recognized as the Prince of the Apostles, and the Supreme Pontiff. His successors provide leadership over the entire Roman Catholic Church. Feast Days Saint Peter’s chief feast day is June 29 (Feast of Peter and Paul), he is also honored on February 22 (Feast of the Chair of Peter, emblematic of the world unity of the Church) and November 18 (Feast of the dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul) . Symbols In liturgical art, Saint Peter is depicted as an elderly man holding a key and a book. His symbols include keys (of Heaven), an inverted cross, a boat, and the cock. Patronage Papacy; Popes; Universal Church; bakers; bridge builders; butchers; clock makers; cobblers; fishermen; harvesters; locksmiths; masons; net makers; ship builders; shoemakers; stone masons; watch makers Parish News SS.

Peter & Paul Commemorated on June 29 (July 13) Epistle: 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9 Gospel: Matthew 10:13-19 St. Peter traditionally is regarded as the leader of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus. He was intimately connected with the earthly life and ministry of our Lord, and after His death tried to preserve the spiritual legacy left by Jesus to him followers. In the course of his missionary journeys, Peter founded the Church in Antioch, where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. St. Peter is regarded by the Church as the first Bishop of Antioch, and the present-day Patriarch of Antioch is his successor in that Apostolic See. St. Paul is the greatest of missionaries. The marvelous story of conversion on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-12) is hardly more striking than the rest of his life, one of the greatest adventure stories of history. The account of Paul's missionary journeys and the letters he wrote to the Churches he founded form an important part of the New Testament. He traveled over vast areas of the Roman world, preaching Christ, and fashioning the Christians Faith for all time.

He called himself an Apostle, and he was the greatest of them, even though he was not of the Twelve Disciples. St. Paul was martyred in Rome during the reign of the Emperor Nero, about 87 A.D. Taken from The Icon Book by Boojamra, Essey, McLuckie, and Matusiak. Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero in the year 87. Peter was crucified, head down at his own request [so that he would not die in the same way as Christ], and because Paul was a Roman Citizen, he was beheaded. The Church unites them in a common celebration and gives them identical honor. Peter, a brother of Andrew the First-Called, was from Bethsaida. They were the sons of Jonas, of the tribe of Simeon. They lived by the work of their hands. At the time when John the Baptist was in prison, Jesus came to the Lake of Genesarett, and finding Peter and Andrew mending their nets, He called them and they followed Him without hesitation. Peter preached the Gospel in Judea, founded the Church of Antioch and finally came to Rome.

Paul, a Pharisee, belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. He was born in Tarsus of Asia Minor. At first, he persecuted the Church with great zeal and violence, imprisoning and killing Christians. But Christ appeared to him on the way to Damascus and changed his heart. He was baptized in Damascus by Ananias. He was to become one of the greatest exponents of Christ's teachings, which he explained in letters or epistles. Taken from Byzantine Daily Worship. About the Icon Saint Peter, on the left, is portrayed as an elderly man with white hair and beard, his inner garment is traditionally green and his outer garment is yellow or gold. Saint Paul, on the right; is portrayed with brown hair and beard; his inner garment is blue and his outer garment is purple. The saints embrace each other to denote their concord of love and faith in Jesus Christ. Taken from The Icon Book by Boojamra, Essey, McLuckie, and Matusiak. Click [HERE] for the icon of Sts. Peter and Paul to color (GIF format, 26KB).

Troparion (Tone 4) 0 foremost in the ranks of apostles, and teachers of the world, intercede with the Master of All to grant safety to the world and to our souls the great mercy. Kontakion (Tone 2) O Lord, You have taken up to their eternal rest, and to the enjoyment of Your good things the two infallible preachers of divine truths and leaders of the apostles, for You have accepted their struggles and their death as being better than any holocaust, 0 You who alone know the secrets of hearts. © 1996 by Orthodox Family Life and the original author(s). URL: This web site is donated and maintained by TheoLogic Systems, which provides software and information tools for Orthodox Christians and parishes world wide. Giovanni Ricciardi PETERï¿½S MARTYRDOMï¿½A.D. 67 or 64? Giovanni Ricciardi It is universally recognized that Peter suffered martyrdom in Rome during Nero's time. The traditional date is 67, a date common to Peter and Paul.

But while even most scholars accept this date for Paul, researchï¿½especially in recent timesï¿½tends to pre-date Peter's martyrdom to the year 64 (the year of the fire in Rome and of the first great persecution campaign against the Christians). On the basis of these studies, including that of the epigraphologist and archeologist Margherita Guarducci, the most likely period in which the Prince of Apostles was martyred in the Vatican has been established. And she became the first to establish the day and the month as well, in an essay published in 1968. The following text is a summary of her in-depth research taken from: "La data del martirio di san Pietro", in La Parola del passato: Rivista di studi antichi, No. 267, Naples 1968 (The Date of Peter's Martyrdom, in Words from the Past. Antiquity Studies Review). THE DATE OF PETER'S MARTYRDOM Margherita Guarducci The most authoritative text informing us of Peter's martyrdom in Rome is the first letter of Saint Clement the Roman to the Corinthians, generally dated at about 96 AD.

In its turn, Clement's letter cannot be read apart from one famed passage of Tacitus' <Annales> (XV, 38-45), in which the historian speaks of the famous fire that flared in Rome on the night of July 18-19, 64 and of its consequences. A comparison of these two testimonies seems to show that Peter was martyred during the anti-Christian persecution campaign unleashed by Nero after the fire and that the place of his martyrdom was the Vatican's <horti.> The information Tacitus provides is undoubtedly very authoritative because the author of the Annales was writing not long after the events and he was able to quote eyewitnesses as well as from first-hand documents, such as the <Acta senatus> and the <Acta diurna>ï¿½respectively the minutes of Senate sessions and the official diaries of the Roman State.

According to Tacitus, then, the Christians whom heï¿½as others doï¿½describes as a "considerable multitude" (<multitudo ingens>), were condemned to death not so much for causing the fire but because they were guilty of "hatred towards the human race" (<odium human>) generic). This was a serious charge because, the identification of the human race with the empire itself meant that anyone so charged was considered an enemy of the empire. The execution of the condemned, according to Tacitus' information, took place during grandiose circus spectacles (<circense ludicrum>), for which Nero made available his own circus in the Vatican that was the principal adornment of his <horti.> It is true, too, that the Vatican circus would have been a natural choice since, after the fire, it was the only area left in Rome for the kind of spectacle Nero desired. In fact, the Circus Maximusï¿½the usual venue for Rome's <circensia ludrica>ï¿½could not be used because of fire damage.

Tacitus goes on to add an interesting detail: Nero himself honored the Vatican spectacles with his presence, mixing with the crowd disguised as a chariot driver and racing around the circus track. The spectacles lasted for several days. The question now was establishing exactly when they were held. October 64 Tacitus has no hesitation in establishing the year 64 for these events. If we look at the series of events the historian lists as having happened between the fire of Rome (July 18-19) and the end of the year, we can establish that the Vatican spectacles took place in the first half of October. Nor is it difficult to prove that between the end of 64 and Nero's death on June 9, 68 there are no other periods in which there was anti-Christian persecution of the type that Tacitus and Clement describe. It is also useful to note that the period between the end of September 66 and the beginning of 68 can be excluded without doubt since that was the period of Nero's travels in Greece.

But, confirming the dating proposed for the circus spectacles and, therefore, for Peter's martyrdom, are two other important, anonymous, texts in Greek contained in a papyrus conserved in Vienna today. They are the <Apocalypse of Peter> and the <Ascension of Isaiah.> I believe that these texts (belonging to the so-called "apocalyptic literature", a very common category between the end of the first century and the first half of the second which used prophetic and symbolic language to interpret historical events of the time) are so well informed on the history of the Neronian period that they must have been written not long after events in 64 (not after the year 80, perhaps). I also believe that they are the fruit of the same Judeo-Christian environment. After addressing Nero's infamies, the authors of the two texts announce his punishment as imminent. According to the author of the <Apocalypse>, it would be none other than Peter's martyrdom that would mark the beginning of the emperor's end. This statement is echoed in the <Ascension> text which affirms that Nero's kingdom would last for "three years, seven months and 27 days" after the apostle's death.

If we calculate three years, seven months and 27 days from Nero's death (June 9, 68), we arrive at the year 64 and October 13 to be precise: this date falls perfectly within the period in which, according to the Tacitus passage, we have set the unleashing of Nero's persecutions. On Nero's dies imperii The date calculated chronologically three years, seven months and 27 days after Nero's death is confirmed by another decisive point. October 13 was not just any ordinary day. It was the anniversary of Nero's ascent to the throne, his <dies imperii>. Moreover October 13, 64 was the tenth anniversary of his reign (<decennalia>, October 13, 54/October 13, 64). The <dies imperii> was an important date in the Romans' official calendar at the time of the empire. Numerous sources certify that between the first and fourth centuries, it was celebrated more or less solemnly with sacrifices, feasts, contests and donations to the public by the emperor.

Regular features of these festivities were sacrifices and exhibitions of bloodletting according to the ancient belief that bloodshed was to the advantage of the living. In fact, it has been pointed out that in Rome the most important feasts concerning the person of the emperorï¿½birthdays (<dies natalis>) for example, and anniversaries of his ascent to the throneï¿½often coincided with exhibitions of bloodletting, gladiator fights, displays of the condemned (<venationes>). It has also been noted that it was on the occasion of these anniversaries that Jews and Christians would often be sacrificed. Thus for example, Jews of Alexandria were sacrificed on Caligula's <dies natalis>. Saint Polycarp's martyrdom coincides with the <dies imperii>of Antoninus Pius and that of the Christians of Lyons with the <dies imperii> of Marcus Aurelius. It is highly likely, then, that the Emperor Nero, who loved manifestations to be as spectacular as possible, would have promoted cruel spectacles for his <decennalia> (a feast when, in the person of the emperor made a god, the majesty of the Roman Empire was exalted).

It is highly likely that he would have organized the execution of Christians who were already condemned on charges of being enemies of the empire. From a study of this whole series of testimonies, we can draw two significant conclusions. Firstly the hypothesis, founded on Tacitus' testimony that Nero's persecution in which Peter also suffered martyrdom happened in October 64, is confirmed. Secondly, it appears extremely likely that we must set the date of the martyrdom of the Prince of the Apostles at October 13 that year. Summary, The tradition's foundations Why the date of Peter's martyrdom was established as the year 67. The traditional date of Peter's martyrdom is the year 67. This is in contrast with information that Peter was martyred during the great wave of persecution under Nero which can only have happened in the year 64. The traditional dating, however, rests on the oldest known testimonies of chroniclers and ecclesiastical historians. Eusebius of Caesarea, who lived between the third and fourth centuries, for example, is the author of a <Chronicon>, a type of universal chronology of the major events in civilian and ecclesiastical history.

He sets Peter's arrival in Rome in the year 42 and his martyrdom at 67. Peter's sojourn in Rome has been calculated to have lasted for 25 years. This calculation could be based on one of the oldest known ecclesiastical chronologies written by Hippolytus. He presents the two figures who are generally believed to have succeeded Peterï¿½Linus and Cletus (or Anacletus)ï¿½as having governed the Church with the apostle and not after his death. Hippolytus attributes a 12-year episcopate to both. If we add the two periods plus the year when Peter first arrived in Rome we can calculate that he was in Rome for 25 years. The <Liber Pontificalis,> a collation of data on the first pontiffs which has come down to us in its sixth century edition, substantially accepts Hippolytus' version and deduces the following general chronology: "(Petrus) martyrio cum Paulo coronatur, post Passionem Domini anno XXXVIII" (Peter was crowned with martyrdom, together with Paul, in the 38th year after the Lord's Passion).

This would set the martyrdom in the year 67, given that Jesus died and rose again at about the year 30 in the general view. Saint Jerome, too, in his <De viris illustribus> of 392, sustains that Peter and Paul were martyred together. His source is the same tradition used by the <Liber Pontificalis>: "Et hic (Paulus) ergo decimo quarto anno Neronis eodem die quo Petrus, Romae pro Christo capite truncatur... anno post Passionem Domini trigesimo septimo" (Paul, then, was decapitated in Rome' on the same day as Peter was martyred, in the 14th year of Nero's reign, the 37th after the Lord's Passion). Although Jerome reports the 37th instead of the 38th year <post Passionem Domini,> he is also assuming the year 67 to have been the date of the two apostles' martyrdom on the basis of the 14th year of Nero's reign. This article was taken from the No. 3, 1996 issue of "30Days".

To subscribe contact "30Days" at: Subscriptions Office, 28 Trinity St., Newton, NJ 07860 or call 1-800-321-2255, Fax 201-579-5541. Subscription rate is $35.00 per year. Provided Courtesy of: Peter & Paul: Apostles, Saints, and Martyrs for the Christian Faith | Get Fed | A Catholic Blog to Feed Your Faith Peter & Paul: Apostles, Saints, and Martyrs for the Christian Faith June 29, 2016 By Gretchen Filz 4 Comments Divine Providence saw it fitting that the Church should be built on the foundation of the great Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul (as well as on the blood of the many other First Martyrs of the Church at Rome). It is likewise fitting that the feast of these two martyred saints are celebrated on the same day, June 29. Tradition holds that Saint Peter and Saint Paul were martyred in June of the year 67 A.D.

(in some traditions, on the same day), while living and ministering in Rome during the reign of the infamously brutal Emperor Nero. See also Honoring the First Christian Martyrs of the Church at Rome St. Peter and St. Paul were Jesus’ foremost Apostles; St. Peter was the leader of the Twelve, while the Resurrected Christ appeared to St. Paul after his Ascension into heaven. Together the two saints are the founders and patrons of the Church in Rome because of their apostolic preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. St. Peter was crucified upside down, while St. Paul was beheaded. Their churches, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls, were built on the respective locations of their martyrdom and burial. These great men testified to the Truth of Christ; and even though they died at the hands of a diabolical tyrant, their deaths were not without great purpose. Rome owes her true greatness to St. Peter and St. Paul, for it was under God’s providential guidance that they transformed the capital of the Roman Empire into the center of the Christian world that would radiate the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ until the end of time.

Just like the sacrificial and life-giving death of Christ, the martyrdom of Peter and Paul were used by God to lay the bedrock for the Church and bring salvation to the whole world. Because they are the solid rock on which the foundation of the Church is built, and they will forever remain her protectors and guides. Pope Benedict XVI, in a 2005 homily commemorating the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, explained how their lives brought about the unity and holiness of the Church that Jesus founded. Therefore this feast isn’t merely a celebration of two glorious saints, it is a celebration of the Church itself. “The Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is at the same time a grateful memorial of the great witnesses of Jesus Christ and a solemn confession for the Church: one, holy, catholic and apostolic. It is first and foremost a feast of catholicity. . . The purpose of the mission is that humanity itself becomes a living glorification of God, the true worship that God expects: this is the deepest meaning of catholicity – a catholicity that has already been given to us, towards which we must constantly start out again.

Catholicity does not only express a horizontal dimension, the gathering of many people in unity, but also a vertical dimension: it is only by raising our eyes to God, by opening ourselves to him, that we can truly become one. Like Paul, Peter also came to Rome, to the city that was a centre where all the nations converged and, for this very reason, could become, before any other, the expression of the universal outreach of the Gospel. “ Prayer to Saints Peter and Paul “O God, Who has made holy this day with the martyrdom of Thine Apostles Peter and Paul, grant that Thy Church may in all things follow the precepts of those from whom it first received the faith. Amen.” ____________ Saint Peter Saint Peter Short, concise biography of Saint Peter History, Life, Biography, Facts and Information about Saint Peter Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Peter What is Saint Peter the patron of? Date of Death How Saint Peter is represented in Christian Art Feast Day (Saint Peter the Apostle) The Patron Saint Peter What is the definition and the meaning of the Patron Saints and why were these people chosen to become patrons of causes, professions and countries?

The term 'Patron' is used in Christian religions, including the Roman Catholic religion, to describe holy and virtuous men and women who are considered to be a defender of a specific group of people or of a country. There is a patron for virtually every cause, country, profession or special interest. There are two categories of saints: martyrs and confessors. Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Peter The following provides fast and concise facts and information: The patron of Fishermen Born: Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee Memorial Day / Feast Day: June 29th Date of Death: Saint Peter died in A.D. 64 Cause of Death: Crucified Who or what is Saint Peter the patron saint of? Saint Peter is the patron of Fishermen. Meanings, definition and origins - a patron is considered to be a defender of a specific group of people or of a nation. There is a patron for virtually every cause, profession or special interest. Prayers are considered more likely to be answered by asking a patron for intercession on their behalf. Prayer to Saint Peter The Story and History of Saint Peter The story and history of Saint Peter. Peter was born at Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee.

Peter, whose name was originally Simon, was a fisherman along with his brother Andrew. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was first a follower of John the Baptist and then became the first apostle of Jesus. Andrew introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. The name Peter, meaning 'rock', was selected by Jesus to indicate the he would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus although at the Last Supper Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times following his death. Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." At the time of the arrest of Jesus, Peter cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest with a sword but then, as had been predicted, he denied three times that he had never known Jesus. Peter then travelled to spread the Gospel and was in Rome in 63/64AD during the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero (r.54-68). In 64 AD Nero set fire to Rome and blamed the Christians for its destruction. Peter was one of the Christians who was taken prisoner and was sentenced to death by crucifixion.

Saint Peter was crucified with his head downwards because he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same manner and posture as his Divine Master. Death of Saint Peter There are two categories of saints: martyrs and confessors. A Christian martyr is regarded as one who is put to death for his Christian faith or convictions. Confessors are people who died natural deaths. Date of Death: Saint Peter died in A.D. 64. Cause of Death: Crucified. Why is Saint Peter the patron of Fishermen? Why is Saint Peter is the patron of Fishermen? St. Peter is the patron of fishermen, because he was himself a fisherman. Saint Peter and the Weathercock on Church steeples The usual weathercock on church steeples was adopted at an early period of Church history as an emblem of clerical vigilance, in commemoration of the cock that crowed thrice after Saint Peter denied the Saviour during His Passion. How Saint Peter is represented in Christian Art It is helpful to be able to recognise Saint Peter in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture and other forms of Christian art. The artistic representations reflect the life or death of saints, or an aspect of life with which the person is most closely associated.

Saint Peter is represented in Christian Art with are keys, in allusion to his custody of the portals of Heaven, and a book or scroll. When our Lord said to him, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew xvi. 18), He employed a set form of words well understood by the Apostle. A key was anciently the recognized symbol of authority, and the presentation of a key the usual mode of investiture with supreme authority. Feast Day of Saint Peter The Feast Day of Saint Peter is June 29th. The origin of Feast Days: most saints have specially designated feast days and are associated with a specific day of the year and these are referred to as the saint's feast day. The feast days first arose from the very early Christian custom of the annual commemoration of martyrs on the dates of their deaths at the same time celebrating their birth into heaven. History, Life, Biography, Facts and Information about Saint Peter Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Peter What is Saint Peter the patron of? Date of Death: 64 Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.

Printer Friendly Version >>> A generation after the death of Christ, Christianity had reached Rome in the form of an obscure offshoot of Judaism popular among the city's poor and destitute. Members of this religious sect spoke of the coming of a new kingdom and a new king. These views provoked suspicion among the Jewish authorities who rejected the group and fear among the Roman authorities who perceived these sentiments as a threat to the Empire. A Roman mosaic shows prisoners put to death in the arena as part of a festival In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights consuming almost three quarters of the city. The people accused the Emperor Nero for the devastation claiming he set the fire for his own amusement. In order to deflect these accusations and placate the people, Nero laid blame for the fire on the Christians. The emperor ordered the arrest of a few members of the sect who, under torture, accused others until the entire Christian populace was implicated and became fair game for retribution. As many of the religious sect that could be found were rounded up and put to death in the most horrific manner for the amusement of the citizens of Rome.

The ghastly way in which the victims were put to death aroused sympathy among many Romans, although most felt their execution justified. Beginnings of Christian Martyrdom The following account was written by the Roman historian Tacitus in his book Annals published a few years after the event. Tacitus was a young boy living in Rome during the time of the persecutions. "Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he had set Rome on fire], he [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius, but the pernicious superstition - repressed for a time, broke out yet again, not only through Judea, - where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged.

Accordingly first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of "hating the human race." In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights. Nero offered his own garden players for the spectacle, and exhibited a Circensian game, indiscriminately mingling with the common people in the dress of a charioteer, or else standing in his chariot. For this cause a feeling of compassion arose towards the sufferers, though guilty and deserving of exemplary capital punishment, because they seemed not to be cut off for the public good, but were victims of the ferocity of one man." References: Carrington, Phillip, The Early Christian Church (1957); Davis, William Stearns, Readings In Ancient History (1913); Duruy, Victor, History of Rome and the Roman People, vol V (1883).

How To Cite This Article: "Nero Persecutes The Christians, 64 A.D.," EyeWitness to History, (2000). Paul's Timeline Paul's Timeline Remarks AD 10-67 Paul was born in Tarsus in AD 10, and died in Rome in AD 67, according to Eusebius , and Tertullian says, Paul was beheaded in Rome. According to a legend in Rome, Paul was beheaded in the Tiber river, and three fountains sprang up at that place. St. Laterno Basilica was established at that place. 14-37 Emperor Tiberius. 37 Stephen was stoned in AD 35. Many scholars believe that Stephen's death was a main factor that led him to Jesus' teachings and his apostles. Paul was an eyewitness of Stephen's death. (Act 7:58) "And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul." Paul was the best student of Gamaliel, and received authority to persecute Christians in Damascus and other places outside of Jerusalem.

Why did he have to go to Damascus? (Probably there was a contingent of Christians there?) Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Because of persecution Peter moved to Samaria and found converts there. 39 First visit to Jerusalem. Paul writes "after three years" he went from Damascus to Jerusalem to meet Peter for 15 days. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. (Galatia 1:18) Thus, granting of apostleship by Peter and other remaining apostles takes place in AD 39. 44 James Zebedee was beheaded. This signals a formal break up between the Judaism and the budding Christianity. The Jerusalem church head by James, Jesus' brother, realized they can no longer claim as a sect of Judaism, but they must claim their own identity as Christians. See also Dieter George, Bible Review, December 2002. 45 Barnabas invites Paul to teach and convert Greeks in Antioch. So he goes there. 46 Paul's first Mediterranean tour begins. It last 3 years.

For instance, he goes to Antioch in Psidia (a different city than Antioch in Syria where he taught) and Iconium. The Famine (Acts 11:27-30) recorded by Luke took place in approximately 46 A.D. according to Tacitus. Josephus and Sentonius say it was between 44 and 48 A.D. 49 Peter comes to Antioch. After his return, the Jerusalem church sends itinerants to Antioch and tells them Christians should be circumcised. Paul goes to Jerusalem (2nd visit) with an assistant (Timothy?) to ask that Jewish law concerning circumcision be relaxed on gentiles. Peter states that he first tried to convert gentiles and supports Paul. James, the brother of Jesus, gives the final verdict: Gentiles need not be circumcised but should avoid foods that were offered to pagan gods, etc. Goes off on his 2nd tour? Athens (he makes a speech at Aeropagus, concerning Greeks' offering to unknown god, etc.), then to Corinth. He writes the Letters to Thessalonika. 51 Corinth, there was a trial. Paul goes back to Antioch.

54 3rd tour. Ephesus. Paul and Appollos meet in Ephesus in AD 54. 57 Paul goes to Corinth. He was almost whipped by a Roman centurion (?), but Paul reveals he is a Roman citizen. The centurion sends him to Caesaria, and Paul was imprisoned for 2 years. Paul knew there were Christians in Alexandria already, and their version of Christianity was different from Paul's. (Epistles to Romans written in AD 57) Thus, Paul had been teaching for 20 years when he found out there were different Christians who were taught by others before him. He adopts the policy of not laboring in cities where Christians were already present. 58 Paul's arrest in Jerusalem? Paul brought contributions to the Jerusalem church. He goes through a purification ceremony. He was imprisoned for 2 years in Caesarea. 60 Paul was tried by Festus (governor?) and Paul appeals to Caesar, and leaves for Rome. Shipwrecked at Malta. Stays there for 3 months, and leaves for Naples. 120 miles on foot to Rome. 61 Under house arrest. He meets lots of visitors. Nero was the emperor.

62 Acts ends in AD 62, and does not describe the end of the story. Luke did not finish his sequel to Acts. Scholars believe Paul was freed because Jewish customs was not a punishable crime under the Roman law. 64 Nero starts fire to get rid of slums and rebuild a certain section. The fire was not contained. He tries to find a scapegoat and blames Christians. 67 According to Clement (AD 96), Corinth? 1st Clement (cf Apostolic Fathers) states that Paul was arrested again in Rome. He was incarcerated at Mamertine prison (this prison still exists near Palatino hill and Coloseo in Rome), and later beheaded. Peter was also imprisoned there but later crucified the same year. A bas relief in St. Mamertine prison, Rome, showing Peter and Paul baptizing the earnest believers. Both were baptizing believers in St. Mamertine prison. Dominance of Alexandrian teachers during the first few centuries of the Christianity suggests that some early disciples were Alexandrian philosophers who were converted to Christianity. Their students in Alexandria for several centuries dominated the theological debates among Chrsistian theologians.

68 In response to Roman congregation's request, and under Peter's direction, Mark began to write his Gospel before Peter's death, but completed it thereafter. St. Mark's sarcophagus in Basilica di San Marco, Venice. It was St. John Mark who established the Alexandrian church. Mark's body was later removed to Venice, Italy when the Moslems invaded Alexandria in 640 AD. Most of the early theologians and heresies originated in Alexandria, rather than in Rome even though Apostles Peter and Paul both died there. Jewish revolt against Rome fails Did Paul visit Alexandria? Rodan was a great philosopher. According to the Urantia Book, Rodan was from Alexandria and died somewhere in Greece, most likely during the Christian persecution after 64 AD during Nero's reign. And so all went well in Jerusalem until the time of the coming of the Greeks in large numbers from Alexandria. Two of the pupils of Rodan arrived in Jerusalem and made many converts from among the Hellenists. Among their early converts were Stephen and Barnabas. These able Greeks did not so much have the Jewish viewpoint, and they did not so well conform to the Jewish mode of worship and other ceremonial practices.

And it was the doings of these Greek believers that terminated the peaceful relations between the Jesus brotherhood and the Pharisees and Sadducees. Stephen and his Greek associate began to preach more as Jesus taught, and this brought them into immediate conflict with the Jewish rulers. In one of Stephen's public sermons, when he reached the objectionable part of the discourse, they dispensed with all formalities of trial and proceeded to stone him to death on the spot. (p.2068, §1) This passage suggests that Stephen and Barnabas were Rodan's converts and they arrived in Jerusalem before 37 AD when Stephen was stoned to death. It was Barnabas who took Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem. But there is enough evidence suggesting that there must have lived a prominent philosopher who was converted to Christianity in Alexandria. 1. Alexandria was the center of Christianity during the first three centuries after Christ until the Nicea Council in AD 325. Most of early Christian theologians were of Alexandria, including Pantaenus--who was Rodan's pupil according to the UB--, Clement--who was also a pupil of Pantaenus--and Athanasius. 2. Why didn't Paul ever visit Alexandria?

Paul states that he did not want to labor where others have taught about Christ already. He knew there was a great contingent of teachers in Alexandria, and he knew that Alexandrian teachers--he met Apollos already--were well trained. Some rivalry may have existed between Apollos and Paul. Paul rites for instance on Apollos: (1Co 3:6) "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." These two factors imply that there WAS a great philosopher-teacher in Alexandria, one possibly taught by Jesus himself, and he must have founded a school, possibly the Catechetical School of Alexandria. This does not prove that he was Rodan. But without such an early dominant Christian philosopher, Alexandria would never have been the center of Christianity during the first three centuries. Only because of Emperor Constantine, Rome began to dominate the Christendom after the third century. Max Muller noted: Those who are truly called the fathers and founders of the Christian church were not the simpleminded fishermen of Galilee, but men who had received the highest education which could be obtained at the time, that is Greek education.

In Alexandria, at the time the very center of the world, it had either to vanquish the world or to vanish. Christianity came no doubt from the small room in the house of Mary, where many were gathered together praying, but as early as the Second Century it became a very different Christianity in the Catechetical school of Alexandria. What Clement had most at heart was not the letter but the spirit, not the historical events, but their deeper meaning in universal history. Prominent Christians in Alexandria (e.g. Athanasius) defended the divinity of Jesus during the early Christian era. The Alexandrian church was known to have apostolic lineage, i.e., one apostle established the first church. William Adler in "Reception of Bouseet's Shulbetrieb" (1978-79) writes on the esitence of a great philosopher in Alexandria: "Reaction to Bousset's Schulbetrieb was initially very slight, no doubt due to its publication during World War I.

In fact, the only major review of the book over a period of several years following its publication appears to be that of Adolph von Harnack in Theologische Literaturzeitung 25, 26 (1915) 537-539. Harnack's review was generally quite favorable,creating the impression that he was glad that someone had undertaken to demonstrate something about which he himself had similar presentiments. Harnack felt that it is to Bousset's credit to have demonstrated that the dependence of such writer as Philo and Clement on school traditions did not represent isolated and unrelated phenomena, but reflected rather a general pattern.

"Much of the rest of Harnack's review explores the broader implications of Bousset's work, especially for the "dark early history of the Christian community at Alexandria in the secondcentury." Harnack found confirmation that it was the teacher, not the bishop, who first held preeminence in Alexandria, and that these teachers "expressed in their 'gnosis' a freedom of thought that was hardly tolerable in most other Christian communities of the same period..." "Bousset's source critical method was the linchpin in his entire reconstruction of Alexandrian school traditions, and it was here that most of the subsequent criticisms concentrated. Bousset'smethods revealed to him at least two sources in Clement's writings which could be tied to Alexandrian school traditions. "One a Lehrbuch entitled Theft of the Greeks, and the other a chunk of material in several of Clement's writings which Bousset called the "Pantaenus source." These sources, inserted into the Stromata after the initial draft, utterly disrupted the orderly treatment of themes and differed measurably from what Bousset claims were Clement's own views.

Even Harnack in his otherwise favorable review expressed some hesitations about Bousset's application of Quellenkritik to Clement and Philo, although he did not feel that Bousset had underestimated the contributions of those authors themselves to the works. Other critics were not so generous.

Question: Saint Peter was martyred in about 64AD during the reign of which Roman Emperor?
Answer: Nero